Green Day Fans Rant Against People Who Joke About Waking Up Billie Joe Armstrong on October 1

Author Erica Banas // Rock Music Reporter

October 1st, 2019 9:44 AM

Today is October 1, and in accordance with the Green Day song “Wake Me Up When September Ends,” you might see some people on social media posting a meme reminding everyone to wake up Billie Joe Armstrong. However, some fans are just not having it.

A lot of fans are quick to remind everyone of the story behind “Wake Me Up When September Ends,” which is actually about Armstrong’s father dying from cancer when Billie Joe was just ten years old.

Considering that information, maybe people should let this meme go. It’s not that funny anyway.

https://twitter.com/6THDIGIT/status/1177983299525971968

https://twitter.com/neitherlings/status/1178085418371342336

https://twitter.com/that_qweba/status/1176583434346450944

Green Day’s ‘Dookie’: 7 Hidden Musical References on the Cover

• The University of California Marching Band

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  In an interview with 'Willamette Week' in 2014, Bucher said of his inclusion of the UC Berkeley Marching band, "They were always marching around playing. I thought they were pretty great." Let us put an end to talk of marching bands being uncool. These musicians are often extremely talented. Sure, we don't know what inspires a person to decide to play the tuba. But hey, live and let live!

• Black Sabbath’s “Black Sabbath”

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  The image used to represent Sabbath is a hybrid of Ozzy Osbourne and the woman on the cover of the metal band's self-titled debut. For good measure, next to the image is the opening lyric to the album, "What is this that stands before me?" Perhaps, it's not so accidental it's next to a demonic figure. After all, seemingly every major hard rock or heavy metal band goes through an Aleister Crowley phase. Of course, Ozzy's ode would come in the form of "Mr. Crowley" from his 1980 debut solo album 'Blizzard of Ozz,' but we digress.

• Ramones’ ‘Rocket to Russia’

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  This is a significant deep cut. The Bad Year blimp's banner phrase "Eat at Chef Wong's" can be found on a t-shirt within the animation from the Ramones' third studio album 'Rocket to Russia.' Understandably, the Ramones' influence can be felt in pretty much any punk band that formed after they arrived. Truthfully, we'd love to know what musical references didn't make the cut on this album cover. It's such a bucket of random! (And we mean that in a good way.)
• Patti Smith’s ‘Easter’

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  In one of the open building windows on the cover of 'Dookie,' you'll find Patti Smith. The iconic punk is depicted in the same pose she struck on the cover of Patti Smith Group's 1978 album 'Easter.' If you look even closer, you can even see the shading of Smith's visible armpit hair. You can get lost in Smith's armpit hair if you're not careful. However, we prefer to just get lost in her catalog.

• Angus Young

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  Located just above Smith is Angus Young. He's posed on top of a building as depicted on the cover of AC/DC's 1977 album 'Let There Be Rock.' Bucher said in his interview with 'Willamette Week' that he was listening to that album a lot around the time he drew the 'Dookie' artwork. Let this serve as a reminder to revisit 'Let There Be Rock' if you haven't in a long time. That LP still holds up in a big way.

• Alex Chilton

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  There's no specific reason known as to why Big Star's Alex Chilton is featured in one of the open windows. Considering Bucher was listening to 'Let There Be Rock' at the time, it wouldn't be out of the ordinary to think he was listening to '#1 Record,' too. Much like 'Let There Be Rock,' Big Star's '#1 Record' still holds up today, too.
• Fat Elvis

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  Because why not? Every other musical reference seems random AF, so just add "The King"! Also, when you look back, "Fat Elvis" really wasn't THAT fat. He just wasn't as svelte as he once was when he was a young guy in the 1950s. Also, those white jumpsuits didn't do him any favors. Had he opted for black, it would've been far more slimming.

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Author Erica Banas // Rock Music Reporter

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